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5/30/09

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest -- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.

5/29/09

Every year, the same thing happens. Summer finally appears, thick and hot, taking over spring quietly one night while we're all sleeping. Then we all wake up sweaty and squinting, clothes come off, music comes on. Everyone is everywhere, talking about everything. Especially festivals. It's like everything else is planned around that. And if you aren't planning this year's festivals, you're talking about last year's. I pretty much spend 2 entire weeks pining over festivals the way one might pine over a super-epic makeout sesh with someone who disappeared and never resurfaced. AGONY.

Anyway, here we are again. June is days away, the weekdays simply marking the days of rest between the wondrous weekends. I am (once again) immersed deep in memories of my making, and simultaneously lost in future visions and the task of sustaining the present. It is a wild-heart chase, the season of death-by-laughter and perfect rivers. It is so easy to love and be grateful, the remembering is all so delicious, and the tomorrows are all so simple.

5/26/09

I've been wanting these black Minnetonka triple-fringe boots for kind of a long time now. I feel the moment of justification slowly approaching, likely to culminate in a late-night internet purchase. Sigh. J'adore!

5/22/09

I cannot take credit for this, it was Kristin's idea. And I know some of you are steadfastly opposed to reinventing the classics, but I enjoy it. So - here's the best reinvented root beer float combo I've found so far:+

Major yumminess! You can get both at Whole Foods or New Seasons, etc. I used the Chocolate Coconut Bliss. I think it was the perfect combo. If you are not in the know about Luna & Larry's revolutionary ice cream, I highly recommend trying it.

5/12/09

Long long ago, in the days of Eugene, college, Emerald Street, and soy vanilla lattes, I learned about making cold water extract coffee. I believe I originally learned this from Sophie. Here is the super-simple way I like to do it. Keep in mind this is so ideal for summer - it's nice to just have it in the fridge, and it is absolutely perfect for bringing to festivals.

In a quart jar (or several, or something larger) pour a good amount of coffee grounds. In a quart jar, I'd probably fill it about an inch+ or so with grounds. This part is very flexible.

Fill to the top with cold water.

Put lid on, and put it in the fridge - best to leave it overnight.

In the morning, or whenever, it's ready to go. Use your favorite filtering system - french press it or whatever - to get the grounds out.

Add milk if you like. It's great with most milks I've tried - regular, soy, etc.

Serve with ice if desired.

If you are making a lot, to bring camping or to a festival, you can sweeten the whole jar if you want. The nice thing about cold water extract, however, is that it's so much mellower and less acidic, it's pretty good without sweetener, too. It's so smooth. Just try it and figure out what you like best, and let the summer delight begin.

I CLEANED MY CAR!!! This is very, very exciting news. It's been about a month of me complaining about how gross it was. And indeed, it was very very, very gross. I now have 4 grocery bags filled with random shit that was all over my car, and I even vacuumed it at the car vacuum place, AND I scraped off all the raisins, chocolate chips, etc, etc, that were glued to the seats. Lookin good, for sure.

Also, there is much to do. Springtime is slowly morphing into summer, and I can feel everything shifting. My lists seem too long, they need to be re-prioritized and simplified. I think the big theme for me lately is the infinite connection of simplicity and clarity, how they feed each other, how they effortlessly coexist. (If you need one, and it seems elusive, try to achieve the other and see what happens).

Last week I was feeling really motivated to sew/take photos/organize some vintage, but I got to about this point:and then had to clean up because houseguests were coming. Sigh. It's okay, things will happen soon. Things are happening, I just have to keep paying attention.

5/10/09

Best mother's day ever. Melissa and Sophie convinced me to get dressed and come have waffles with them around noon...and me and Asher met up with them and Alex at this tiny, magical spot in SE where a kind, quiet, and big-hearted man made us heaps and heaps of amazing (gluten-free) food. Seriously, these waffles went beyond food-art - it was some kind of crazy, intuitive, out-of-control construction of edible materials. I am in awe. And to add to it, they have a toy box nestled in a little area under the counter. Aside from loving that they have a toy box (do you know how much LONGER I can hang out when the establishment has a toybox??), I love that they tucked it completely out of the way, but in a space where only tiny people fit. And we all remember how fun it is to fit in tiny-people-places when you're tiny.

After that, Asher and I went to Sophie's and lounged as only the pros can do. Cleaned the porch, ate some food, snuggled, and so on. Best day ever. Thank you to the girls for the delicious lunch treat, to Sophie for being the best thing ever, and to all my lovely friends and family who called and left me all those loving mother's day messages. I feel loved. Mission accomplished.

p.s. I am finding myself not wanting to post the address of aforementioned magical waffle den.

Today I was blessed with sun and a Saturday all at the same time. Walked with Asher, traveled to the emotional edges and back, made a salad I didn't eat, vacuumed, and now I am sitting feeling warm in my heart, tired in my body, and infinitely grateful for vision, love, faith, chocolate, and family.

Went to the Taurus ball last weekend with Anna, wore my rad leather harness from Tuck. Made the night a lot better I think.

Also am considering bringing on the spandex shorts look in full-effect this summer, and slowly phasing out the booty shorts???

Okay, okay, I won't phase them OUT. but maybe wear them a bit less or something. I dunno. Am I too old for booty shorts?

Impulsive chocolate purchase at the store today. Not only is it made with simple ingredients, it's local as well. They were sampling it on strawberries, but I have literally just been pouring it straight from the bottle into my mouth! Learn more, drool more, dream more at holykakow.com. YUM.

5/4/09

Yay! I recently sold this beautiful lace vintage bustier on Etsy.The woman who bought it got it for her wedding, and she just emailed me today saying that it fits like a glove! Anyone who shops online (especially vintage) knows how exciting it can be when something fits perfectly.

I told her I am always so thrilled to hear about people buying vintage items for their weddings...and she told me she also plans to get the bustier reinvented by Etsy seller Vintage Opulence. Check out her other items if you have time - with a name like that, you can imagine what is in store. Here is one to-die-for example of what she creates:

and stay tuned for photos of the final revamped project; I can't wait...it's so fun to follow the paths of vintage clothes, and especially ones that undergo reconstruction. Congratulations on your wedding, Robyn!